Thermostat construction and method of making the same

Abstract

A thermostat construction having a first contact and a blade-carried second contact supported in a generally cube-like housing and having a bimetal snap disc carried by the housing for controlling movement of the second contact relative to the first contact in response to snapped temperature sensing conditions of the disc together with temperature setting means carried by the housing for selecting the temperature of operation of the disc for moving the second contact out of contact with the first contact whereby the generally cube-like configuration of the housing renders the thermostat construction relatively small and compact.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a thermostat contruction having a first contact and a blade-carried second contact supported in a housing means and having a bimetallic snap disc carried by said housing means for controlling movement of said second contact relative to said first contact in response to snapped temperature sensing conditions of said disc together with temperature setting means carried by said housing means for selecting the temperature of operation of said disc for moving said second contact out of contact with said first contact, the improvement wherein said housing means is generally cube-like in configuration and thereby small and compact. 
     
     
       2. In a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 1, said cube-like housing means having a generally square front face, said temperature setting means being generally medially disposed adjacent said front face of said housing means. 
     
     
       3. In a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 2, said housing means having two terminal means on said front face thereof and being respectively electrically interconnected to said first and second contacts in said housing means. 
     
     
       4. In a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 3, said front face of said housing means having four side edges, said two terminal means being disposed in aligned relation adjacent one of said side edges. 
     
     
       5. In a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 4, said housing means having a generally square rear face, said disc being generally medially disposed adjacent said rear face inside said housing means. 
     
     
       6. In a method of making a thermostat construction having a first contact and a blade-carried second contact supported in a housing means and having a bimetallic snap disc carried by said housing means for controlling movement of said second contact relative to said first contact in response to snapped temperature sensing conditions of said disc together with temperature setting means carried by said housing means for selecting the temperature of operation of said disc for moving said second contact out of contact with said first contact, the improvement comprising the step of forming said housing means to be generally cube-like in configuration and thereby small and compact. 
     
     
       7. In a method of making thermostat contruction as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of forming said housing means causes said cube-like housing to have a generally square front face, and disposing said temperature setting means generally medially adjacent said front face of said housing means. 
     
     
       8. In a method of making a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 7, the additional step of forming two terminal means on said front face of said housing means to be respectively electrically interconnected to said first and second contacts in said housing means. 
     
     
       9. In a method of making a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 8 wherein said step of forming said housing means causes said front face of said housing means to have four side edges, said step of disposing said two terminal means comprising the step of disposing said two terminal means so as to be in aligned relation adjacent one of said side edges. 
     
     
       10. In a thermostat construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of forming said housing means causes said housing means to have a generally square rear face, and disposing said disc so as to be generally medially disposed adjacent said rear face inside said housing means.